Shopping Realities
by writestories315
Summary: Sometimes going shopping can lead somewhere else.


Title - Shopping Realities

Spoilers - Everything

Disclaimer - I own nothing. Nor do I admit to owning anything. If I really owned anything do you think it would take me 15 years to pay back my students loans.

Summery - Sometimes going shopping can lead somewhere else.

Author's Notes - the {".."} Are when someone is talking on the phone. Takes place during the summer between Season 7 and 8.

**written in 2003 - unbeta**

* * *

**Forrest Hill Mall**

**Arlington, VA**

**Saturday July 27**

**1:14pm**

Harm and Sergie are walking through the mall laughing and talking about different things. "Remind me again why we are here?" Harm ask his brother as they walk into another store. Harm is wearing blue jeans and a green button down shirt. While Sergie is wearing black jeans and a white button down shirt.

"I need to get some new clothes and you needed to get out of the house." Sergie said, "Plus I need to know if it this will good on me." Sergie said holding up a shirt.

"If you ask me if you fat in that I'll leave you here." Harm said as he looked at some shirts.

"Fine leave me I'll just call your Colonel, to get me. Then she can yell at you." Sergie said with a smile.

"She is not my Colonel." Harm said as a sales girl walked over to them.

"Hi. I'm Lisa can I help you?" Lisa said.

"Just looking ,Lisa." Sergie said with a smile.

Lisa gave the polite salespersons smile, "Everything is 15% off today, if you need any help please ask." Then she walked away.

"Good job Brother and this time you didn't say anything in Russian to scare her." Harm said to his brother with a smile.

"You thought it was funny in the last store when the girl asked the manger." Sergie said laughing with his brother. "Hold this while I try this on?" Sergie said handing Harm three bags of clothes.

"Sure." Harm said as he watched his brother go into a dressing room. Harm then sat down in a big chair that was on the floor. He then pulled out his cel-phone and dialed a familiar number.

{"Colonel MacKenzie." Mac said as she picked up her cel phone}

"Hey Mac, it's me." Harm said with a smile.

{"Hey, I thought you and your brother were spending the day together." Mac said to him.}

"We are. He needed to go clothes shopping." Harm said to her smiling at the salesgirl who just walked past him.

{Mac started laughing a little, "Oh, poor Harm. He's not that bad."}

"Yes, he is. We've gone to every store in this mall and he's gotten two shirt a pair of jeans, and shoes. I've been here all day." Harm whined to her.

{"Did you call for a reason or just to whine to me." Mac said to him.}

Harm thought for a moment, "What are you doing?"

{Mac thought for how to respond to him, "I am actually doing some shopping."}

"Really where are you at?" Harm said as Sergie walked out of the dressing room wearing a blue button-down short-sleeve shirt and a pair of khaki. "Hold on a second." He told to Mac.

"Does this look OK?" Sergie asked.

"Looks good on you." Harm said to his brother.

"Who are you talking to?" Sergie asked as he saw cel phone.

"Mac."

"Tell your Colonel I say hello." Sergie said as he walked back into the dressing room.

Harm picked the cel phone back up, "Sergie says hi."

{"He is driving you crazy." Mac said to him. "Thank you." She then said softly.}

"Where are you?" Harm asked.

{"I just walked out Limited. It's a girls store Harm, Sergie won't hall you into it. Where are you guys at?"}

"Some store in Forrest Hill. They have a big red chair that I'm in." Harm said to her.

{"You really hate shopping don't you." Mac said to him.}

"That's why I like the Navy, they tell you what to wear." Harm said. "Half of my suits my Mom helped me pick out. I have no fashion sense."

{"You're not that bad." Mac told him. "What store are you in?"}

"The bag says Structure." Harm told her, "Why?"

{"I'm in Forrest Hill, too. I think that store is around the corner." Mac said.}

Harm just smiled, "If you can find us I'll treat you to lunch."

{Mac let out a laugh, "I don't want to intrude on you and little brothers day out."}

"Please save me from him." Harm begged.

{"Give me a few minutes." Mac said to him.}

"No problem, he's looking for another pair of pants. See you in a few."

{"Bye Harm." Mac said as she closed her cel phone.}

Harm then looked at his brother as he walked over with another shirt and a pair of pants, "I take it the Colonel is joining us."

"Maybe. How did you know?" Harm asked.

"I can tell by your smile." Sergie said as he walked back into the dressing room.

"You don't mind. Do you?" Harm asked.

"Not at all, you're the one in love with her." Sergie said as Harm watched Mac walk into the store.

"Not a word little brother." Harm said as Mac walked up to him. "Hi Mac. you look nice today." Mac is wearing a blue-jean skirt that flows out towards the ankle and a white three-fourths sleeved shirt.

"Hi Harm and thank you." Mac said then she noticed the bags next to the chair, "Nice collection, Dilliards, The Nike Store, and Gap. Good choices Sergie."

"Limited and Victoria Secrets, can I see what's in your bags?" Harm asked looking at Mac's bags.

"No." Mac said with a smile.

Then Sergie walked out of the dressing room. "Well?"

"You look fine to me." Harm said.

"Sarah?" Sergie asked.

"I think you'd look better in the gray shirt with those pants." Mac said to Sergie.

Sergie looked at her, "That gray one there?"

"What size do you wear? I'll get it." Mac said.

"Large." Sergie said smiling at Mac as she went to the rack to find the shirt in a large. "Not only is she helpful but she's pretty."

Harm then looked at his brother, "And what am I?"

"Do you really want us to answer that Harm?" Mac said handing Sergie the gray shirt. Then Sergie went into the dressing room again.

Harm than sat back down in the chair as Mac started to look at the rack near him, "Are you go to help him?" He asked.

"Sure. I like shopping." Mac said to him.

"Better." Sergie said walking out of the dressing room with the black pants on and gray shirt.

Mac walked over to him and straighten the sleeves of the shirt and smiled, "Much better. The gray helps show off your eyes."

"You are much better at this them him." Sergie said giving Mac a kiss on the cheek.

He walked back into the dressing room and changed. Mac then looked a Harm, "Have you been helping him at all?"

"My job is to carry the bags." Harm said causing Mac to laugh.

"He does it very well." Sergie said walking out of the dressing room and towards the counter to pay for his clothing.

Mac and Harm smiled as they watched Sergie flirt with the salesgirl behind the register, "Think you should tell him she's probably only 17."

"It not his fault all women fall for the Rabb smile." Harm said to her giving her the smile.

"Who ever told you that lied." Mac said as she walked to Sergie who had finished with his sale.

Harm then picked up the bags and the three of them walked out of the store. "So Harm, you said something about lunch." Mac said with a smile. "Your treat."

Harm smiled, "My choice?"

"Something that serves real food, Brother." Sergie said.

"I remember seeing a Friday's. Is that all right?" Harm said looking at the two meat eaters next to him.

"They have great burgers." Mac said.

"Have you had the one with the bar-b-que sauce on it?" Sergie asked Mac.

"Yuck, are you sure you're my brother?" Harm asked Sergie as they walked into Fridays.

"Hi. Welcome to Friday's. Three for lunch?" The hostess asked.

"Yes, non-smoking please." Mac said to the young girl.

"This way." The hostess said as the three of them followed her to a booth.

Mac slid into the booth and to her surprise Harm sat down next to her. While Sergie slid into the other side with all the bags including Mac's, that Harm handed to him so he could sit down next to her.

As the three of them ate lunch they talked abut different things, including the shopping trip. Harm just groaned as Sergie told Mac everything that he wanted to get. "But my dear bother is no help at all." Sergie informed Mac.

"I'm trying. This just isn't my idea of fun." Harm said trying to defend himself. "Shopping is a girls things."

Mac then hit him in the arm, "Just be thankful she already took my knife."

"Sarah, would you please join us? And help me with my clothing choices." Sergie asked.

"Well…" Mac said

"Please Mac, save me from him and the salesgirls." Harm said.

Mac chuckled a little, "OK. What do I have to do?"

Sergie smiled, "Just help me choose things that look good on me. Like if something is too big or too small. Colors. The things that he can't help with."

"OK Sergie I'll help you." Mac said,

"What about me?" Harm said.

"What about you?" Mac and Sergie said.

"The salesgirls I'll be waiting for him and they attack me." Harm exclaimed. "I don't know how to stop them?"

"Don't smile at them." Mac said softly. "You'll have to carry my bags."

Sergie looked at Mac's two bags, "Why would that stop them?" He asked.

Mac then smiled and explained, "If they see him holding a bag from Victoria Secrets and all of the other shops, they know that he's not shopping. They suddenly realize that his job is to carry the bags."

"I've been carrying the bags all day. How will yours and mine help him?" Sergie asked.

"I'm confused." Harm admitted.

Mac took a deep breath, "OK use you're imagination. Two men walk into a store only one of them is carry a bag. The sales person will approach both to buy something. While one is looking they will continue to go to the other till he buys something. That's' been happening to you all day."

"Yeah." Harm said taking a sip of ice tea.

"Now, two men and a women enter the store. One of the men and the woman go looking for cloths. The other man has all the bags in his hand, bags from both male and female only shops. The sales people know who is the shopper and who isn't. they will only go to the man and woman and leave the bag carrier alone." Mac explained.

"It works?" Sergie asked.

"Yes." Mac said.

Harm looked at her, "Where did you learn this boot camp?"

Mac shook her head at him, "I had a part time job one summer at the mall. You learn things."

"You better be right." Harm said as he got out his wallet to pay for lunch.

**4:45pm**

**Still at the Mall**

The trio has just walked into yet another store. Harm is watching as Sergie and Mac go off and start looking at different shirts to go with his new pants. He notices that the sales people are swarming around them and Harm just smiles at them. Finally a sales person walks over to him, "Sir we have a chair in the back if you would like to sit down?" a salesgirl says to him.

"Thank you." Harm says as he walks into the back and finds the chair. He then watches as Mac laughs at something that Sergie has just said. Harm just smiles at her.

He watches for a few minutes until another man sits in the chair next to him. "Good don't you hate shopping." The man says.

"Yes, I do." Harm says to the man.

The man looks at Harm, "For a man who hates it you sure are smiling."

"Sorry, you see my friend is helping my brother get some new clothes. It's like she's playing dress up." Harm said explaining the situation to the man.

"The pretty brunette right there." The man says.

Harm smiles at Mac, "Yes, Sir."

"If I wasn't married. That's my wife right there with the two red headed boys. The boys have prom coming up and needed new suits." The man said as she waved to his wife.

"I remember prom, I think that started my hatred of shopping." Harm said with a laugh.

"The boys are slowly learning that." The man said as one of the boys walked to the man.

"Come on Dad. Mom say's only twenty shops left." The boy said to his father.

"Have fun." The man told Harm.

"You too." Harm said as the man walked off and Mac and Sergie walked back to the dressing room near him.

"How will I know if this will go with the pants?" Sergie asked.

Mac smiled at him, "Very easily, you put the pants on also. Which store were the blue pants at?"

"Green chair." Harm said smiling.

Mac looked at Harm, "You are no help." Then she quickly looked through the bags and pulled out the blue pants. "Here you go." She hen handed the pants to Sergie, who smiled and walked into the dressing room.

Mac then sat down next to Harm, "You're having fun playing dress up."

She laughed at the words dress up, "Yes, I am he's got a great body for these clothes and he doesn't seem to mind the help."

"You think he's got a great body." Harm said kind of surprised.

"Are you jealous?" Mac flirted with Harm.

"Surprised you would tell me that." Harm said.

Mac smiled, "You should have heard what he said when I said something about your body."

"What do you think?" Sergie said as he opened the door.

Mac stood up, "How's it feel in the shoulders?" Mac asked leaving Harm in the chair a little stunned about her comment.

He just watched the exchange between the two of the them then she sat back down. "What did you say about my body?"

Mac just smiled at Harm and didn't say anything.

"I don't like this one." Sergie said stepping out of the room.

"Agreed take it off." Mac said to him, then Sergie went back into the dressing room.

"How long do you two think you'll be in here?" Harm asked.

"Ten to fifteen more minutes." Mac said, "Why?"

"I need to go to Hallmark and get mom a birthday card." Harm said standing up and checking his watch.

He then reached down and picked up the bags, "I'll watch the bags." Mac said.

"OK. I'll be back in fifteen." Harm said as he walked out of the store and into Hallmark.

**Hallmark**

Harm walked in the store and a salesgirl walked up to him, "Can I help you find anything?"

Harm smiled, "Yes, I'm looking for a thank you card for a friend."

"Funny or sweet?"

"My friend?"

"The card Sir." The salesgirl said with a slight laugh.

"I don't know." Harm admitted.

"This way." Then the salesgirl brought Harm to a section of cards, "We have some sweet ones right here and funny ones on the rack behind you."

"Thank you." Harm said as he started to look at cards. He wasn't having any luck with the sweet cards, "Too formal." He said to himself about the cards. He then moved to the funny side and found a card that fit what he was looking for, "Perfect."

As he started to walk to the register some cards got his attention and he looked at them. He then picked one up and decided to buy it also. He then continued to the register, "All done Sir?" A salesboy asked.

"Yes I am. Can I borrow a pen? I need to write a note in them." Harm asked.

"Sure, you're total is 3.59. Would you like our gold seals for the outside?" The salesboy asked Harm.

Harm looked at the gold seals as he handed the boy a five dollar bill, "Sure."

The salesboy then gave Harm his change, two seals, a pen to borrow, and a bag with the two cards. "Here you go Sir."

"Thank you." Harm said as he put his change in his pocket. He then moved to the side and quickly wrote the messages in the two cards. Then he handed the boy back the pen and walked back to the store that Sergie and Mac were at.

Harm walked back to the dressing room area and found Mac still sitting there. "Hi."

"Hi. We're almost done." Mac says with a smile.

Harm smiled back at her, "Almost only counts in horse shoes…"

"and hand-grenades." They both finished the saying.

Sergie then walked out wearing a pair of black jeans, "A little too tight."

Mac looked at Sergie for a second. Harm then looked at Mac then his brother, "Those are too tight, Little Brother."

Mac then walked over to Sergie, "This are no tighter on him then your black jeans." She said to Harm, then to Sergie, "The girls will defiantly look at you. But if you don't like them, don't get them."

"I don't think I'll get them. But maybe in a large size?" Sergie asked.

"Only if you're sure." Mac said to him as she walked to get a larger size.

Sergie then crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at his brother, "Jealous?"

"Why would I be jealous of you?" Harm asked his brother.

"Because she is complementing me and not you." Sergie said as Mac walked up to him talking.

"I think this will work." She handed him the jeans and sat down. Then she carefully looked at Harm, "Did you get your mom a good card?"

"Yeah, I think she'll love it." Harm said as he looked at the Hallmark bag in his hands.

Then Sergie walked out o the dressing room with the larger size on. He gave Mac his best smile and said, "What do you think?"

"If only you were fifteen years older." Mac said to him smiling. "Do you like them?"

"Yes I do. Brother?" Sergie said looking at Harm for approval.

"Much better." Harm said thinking about Mac's comment.

Sergie looks at himself in the mirror, "Will girls still like them?"

Mac starts laughing, "I can guarantee it."

Sergie then walks into the dressing room and gets changed as Mac and Harm sit there quietly. Then he walks out with his arms full of clothing. Mac stands up and helps him as they walk to the racks and the register. Harm then goes into the Hallmark bag and takes one of the cards and places it into Mac's Victoria Secrets bag. He takes the Hallmark bag and places it into one of Sergie's bags. He then looks at the bags and joins them at the register.

As they walk out of the store, Mac looks at Sergie, "OK, what else is on your list to buy?"

"I think I've gotten everything." Sergie said with a smile. "What do you think, Harm?"

"I think you brought one of everything. Especially when Mac came to help." Harm said holding up his two arms that had several bags.

"Sarah, has been a great help." Sergie said giving Mac a kiss on the cheek.

Mac just smiled. "You're sure you've got everything?"

"I need to get some underclothes, but I don't need help getting those." Sergie said. "Harm do you need anything?"

"No, I'm all right." Harm said.

The three of them then stopped walking, "Well, it sounds like you gentlemen are done. Harm if you give me my two bags I'll just see you two later." Mac said to them.

Harm handed Mac her two bags, "Thanks for helping."

"Yes, Sarah. Thank you." Sergie said as he kissed both of her cheeks. "Join us for dinner tonight, I'll cook."

"No, this was to be your day with your brother." Mac said.

"Come on, Mac it will be fun." Harm said encouraging her.

"Please Sarah." Sergie pleaded with her.

Mac rolled her eyes, "Damn those eyes." She muttered, "Yes, I'll have dinner with you two."

"Good, Dinner at 7?" Sergie asked.

"Works for me. What are you cooking?" Mac asked.

Sergie smiled, "It's a surprise."

"Guess this means we have to go to the grocery store?" Harm said to his brother, who just smiled. "See you tonight Mac."

"Bye, Sarah." Sergie said to her.

"Bye guys." Mac said as she went one way and they went another.

**Harm's Apartment**

**7:00**

Mac is knocking on the door, "Come on in, Sarah." Sergie says as he opens the door giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Smells delicious. What is it?" Mac asked as she walked towards the kitchen.

"An old family recipe." Sergie said as he walked back into the kitchen to stir something in one of the pots.

"Hey Harm." Mac said to him as he sat on the couch.

"Hey." Harm said standing up from the couch and walking towards them.

Sergie then opened the refrigerator, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water would be great." Mac said to him as the buzzer went off on the oven.

"I'll get it, you get the oven." Harm said as he got Mac the water. "I think he's used every pot and pan that I own."

Mac just laughed at Harm as Sergie pulled a pan out of the oven with a very nice piece of roast on it. "Oh, Sergie that looks so good." Mac said to him.

"Dead animal." Harm muttered.

"You said you would try some tonight." Sergie said to his brother.

Mac just stared at Harm, "A little piece." Harm said.

"Well, what he doesn't eat I'm sure I will." Mac said with a smile.

"Go ahead and sit you two, I'll bring everything out." Sergie said.

"Mac." Harm said pulling out a chair for her.

Mac smiled, "Thank you." Then she sat down as Sergie brought out the rest of the food. "My nose is in heaven."

Harm just laughed as Mac took deep breaths of the aromas of the food. "OK, that is everything." Sergie said as he sat down. "We've got roast, carrots, mashed potatoes, and fresh bread. No salad." He said pointing a finger at his brother.

The three of them put their food on their plates. Mac was the first on to try the roast. "This is the best I have ever had. You said it was an old family recipe."

"Yes, my mother made it all the time. She learned it from our father." Sergie said looking at Harm. "I remember father making it once. He loved to cook, he said it made him feel like he was at home."

Mac smiled sweetly as she heard this. "Mom, said dad made the best food she has ever eaten." Harm said. "That's one of the reasons she wanted me to know how to cook. So when I got married my wife would be well feed."

"Brother, I've had some of your food. Good luck." Sergie honestly said causing everyone to laugh.

"The meatless meatloaf." Mac said causing more laughter.

The rest of dinner was filled with laughter and talking about the day shopping. At the end of dinner the three of them helped and cleaned up the mess. Sergie even made up a leftover bag for Mac.

"I have a date tonight." Sergie said as they finished wiping off the table.

"With who?" Harm asked.

Sergie then smiled, "Kathy, you don't know her. I don't even know if it's a date. I'm meeting her and four other people. Is that a date?"

"Don't look a me. I haven't had a date in a year." Mac said.

"Same here." Harm said.

Sergie then took a deep breath, "I really like Kathy. She's nice and I want to look my best. What should I wear?"

"Where are you going?" Mac asked.

"To a restaurant for drinks and a snack. Then I think to someone house later to play party games." Sergie said. "Thomas is going to pick me up here."

"Wear the gray shirt and black pants." Mac instructed.

"Perfect." Sergie said as he then went into Harm's closet and pulled out the clothes. He then went into the bathroom and got dressed.

Mac just smiled, "He is so cute." Mac said to him.

"Mom, said the same thing when she meet him last month." Harm said. "She said that he reminds her of me when I was younger."

"He is a lot like you." Mac said.

Harm looked at her, "Really, the way you talk about him you would think we were related."

"Excuse me." Mac said to him.

"You know what I mean." Harm said to her.

Mac then crossed her arms in front of her chest, "No, I don't."

"Well, how about that comment about if he was only fifteen years older. Or the he's got a great body for the clothes." Harm threw in her face.

Mac was about to open her mouth to say something but Sergie walked into the room, "Ta-da. Do you think Kathy will like it?" Sergie said but he could tell that something was wrong. "What happened?"

"Nothing Sergie. You look great." Mac said. "I better get going."

"No, stay. I want you to meet Thomas, he's never meet a Marine before. Plus he doesn't believe that you could be a pretty as I tell him you are." Sergie pleaded. "Please."

"Sure." Mac said to him trying to put a smile on her face for him.

Then there was a knock on the door. Sergie smiled and opened the door, "Thomas come in." Sergie said as he and his friend walked towards Harm and Mac. "Thomas this is Sarah MacKenzie. Sarah this is Thomas Miltzson."

"Sergie's told me a lot about you." Thomas smiled and said with a thick Russian accent.

"It's nice to meet you Thomas." Mac polity said.

"And you remember my brother, Harm." Sergie said.

"How are you, Harm?" Thomas asked.

"Good." Harm responded.

"Are you ready to so Sergie. Kathy told me she is very excited that you were joining us tonight." Thomas said.

"Yes. Well, I'll see you when I get home, Brother." Then Sergie walked over to Mac and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you again Sarah." Then he said something in Russian to her.

Mac smiled and responded in Russian to him. "Bye." Sergie said as he and Thomas left the room.

Mac then turned to Harm, "I don't want to fight. So I'm just going to leave."

"Come on Mac, you know you like him." Harm said as he followed her to the kitchen where she got the leftovers.

"Yes, I do like him as a friend. He is a very nice guy, unlike his brother right now." Mac said to him.

"Me. You're going to throw this at me! You're the one who was all but throwing yourself at him today with all the complements and everything."

"Me!" Mac then threw the leftovers on the counter and walked over to her purse and grabbed the card out it. "You have the audacity to say that and give me this!"

"It's a thank you card." Harm said not understanding why she was holding up the card.

"It is?" Mac questioned staring at him like he was an idiot.

Harm just looked at her, "Yes, didn't you read it?"

"About twenty times." Mac stated.

"Well, maybe you need to learn how to read better." Harm rudely said.

"Fine I will." Mac said as she read the card aloud, "There are a lot of things In this world that I love. The sunrise and the leaves in the fall. But most of all I love you and everything about you." Then she opened up the card. "Sarah, I wish I could say these words to you so you would know how I feel. I'm not good with these words so I thought Hallmark might be better at our moments. I love you. Yours for eternity, Harm."

Harm just stared at her as she read the card to him. "I gave you the wrong card." he softly said as he walked over to his desk and pulled out the thank you card for her. "You were to get this one."

She took the card from him and read it to herself. Then she looked at him, "Then who was to get this card."

Harm just stared at her and took several deep breaths. And he said nothing. Mac just stared at him, "You are a jackass." She said then she walked away from him. She grabbed her purse and opened the door.

Harm's brain finally turned on, "Mac." He said to her as she pulled the door open. Finally he moved his feet and ran over to her. "Wait."

"Wait." Mac said with an as-if laugh. "Wait for what? Wait for your excuse. Wait for you to yell at me. Wait for you to tell me that I'm wrong."

Then Harm interrupted, "Wait for me to tell you my answer. That card is for you." Mac just closed her eyes as they blurred with tears. Then he continued, "I mean those words. I saw the card and it just fit. I didn't mean to give it to you today."

"Then why did you buy it?" Mac asked opening her eyes and letting go of the door.

Harm then shut the door, "I don't know why. Part of me told me to buy it, so I did." Then he feel silent as he noticed that he hurt Mac with his earlier words, "And you were right before I was jealous of Sergie."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you were noticing him and not me. You said that he had a great body and when I asked you what you said about mine you didn't say anything." Harm explained to her.

"Do you want to know what I said about yours?" Mac asked him.

"No, it doesn't matter. What matters now is that I'm admitting it Mac. I was jealous of my little brother because he had your attention and you were just being your normal helpful self. I get jealous every time you help someone like that. Because they are getting you to be you around them." Harm rambled on to her.

"I'm me when I'm with you." Mac said slightly confused.

"NO, your not. Today when you were helping Sergie you were Sarah. When you talked to me today you were Mac. There's a difference." Harm said.

"What's the difference? You labeled the card to Sarah not Mac. Who was to read the card?" Mac asked him.

"Let's sit down." Harm said as he lightly touched her hand.

"No, Harm I want to finish this for once." Mac said.

Harm then looked at her with sincerity in his eyes, "So do I, but it's going to take while."

Mac then set her purse down and sat down on the couch. Harm then sat on the chair next to the couch. "You asked me what the difference is between Sarah and Mac. Mac is the hard as nails Marine I know. She's the lawyer I work with every day. She's my best friend. She's the person I go to when I am in trouble. OK?"

"Who's Sarah?" Mac asked.

"Sarah is that person who smiles at me and makes my knees go week. She's the person that is more then happy to help out a friend. She is the godmother to Little AJ. She's the big sister to a cute teenager. She is the person who does these little things that annoy me. Like when she tells me the exact time or gets one of her visions. She's the one who saved me that day in May. She is the one I was really scared of losing when you almost married Brumby. She's the one I was racing against in the JAGaton. She's the one I see as the mother of my children. She's the one I love. She's the person who makes Mac try harder at everything." Harm explained to her.

Mac was silent for a minute, "So you love Sarah but not Mac?"

"No…yes…Let me explain it. Mac is Mac all by herself. But Mac wouldn't be Mac if it wasn't; that she was also Sarah." Harm said trying to make what he was saying more clear.

"So who are you talking to right now?" Mac asked.

"I'm talking to Sarah. That fight was with Mac." Harm said. Mac then put her head in her hands, "Do you understand?" Harm asked.

"No, but I'm trying." Mac said as some tears fell from her eyes as she sat up.

Harm quickly moved to her side, "God, why can't I get this right?"

"You know you're just one person to me." Mac said to him.

"Really?" Harm asked.

"Yeah, you're Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. The guy I work with, fight with, discuss cases with. The person who challenges me on everything. Someone who would search the world for what he wants. Chases after his dreams and doesn't care what the consequences might be. The man I'm in love with. The big brother to a scared kid. The godfather to AJ. A friend to everyone, till you cross him." Mac then paused, "You're all that and so much more in one nice package. I know you. I know what you are. Why can't you say that about me."

Harm placed Mac's hands in his. "I know you, I know all of you. I'm just scared of hurting you. If I hurt Sarah, I just don't lose her. I lose Mac, I can't afford to lose all of that."

"Have you ever had a moment when you were talking to both Sarah and Mac?" Mac asked.

"Once." Harm said.

"When?"

"Right now. I'm trying to get Sarah to know how I feel and I'm trying to get Mac not to hate me." Harm explained.

She wiped her eyes and gave him a slight smile, "Who's winning?"

"All of us." Harm said then she slowly leaned in and kissed Mac gently on the lips. As he pulled away from her lips he opened his eyes and looked into hers, "Hi."

"Hi." She softly said.

**The End**


End file.
